Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie gets title and release date

Joaquin Phoenix's new take on The Joker has been given a full title and a release date.

Phoenix will work with The Hangover director Todd Phillips on the project, which will serve as an origin movie for the character.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the movie is simply to be titled Joker and will be released into cinemas on October 4th in 2019.

Phillips and 8 Mile screenwriter Scott Silver have been working on a script for a new film about Batman's nemesis since last year when the project was announced. Production is set to begin later this year.

Phoenix's movie stands apart from the wider DC universe, which also sees Jared Leto's take on the Joker set to get his own spin-off movie.

Leto will next be seen as The Joker in the Suicide Squad sequel in 2019 and is also expected to appear in the Harley Quinn spin-off and new project Gotham City Sirens.